Merced softball survives scare from Enochs in opening game of Division I playoffs

Monique Collins dug her spikes into the batter’s box, refusing to lose the battle.

Rheanne Lewis ranged to her right, leaping behind the bag at second base to snare a line drive.

And pinch-hitter Madison Kane, a freshman hitting under .140 for the season, never lost confidence in her swing.

So reliant on the precision and power of UCLA-bound senior Madi Nickles throughout the season, the Merced High softball team called on its ancillary pieces to survive a first-round scare.

Lewis changed momentum with a stunning double play, Collins produced a two-run base hit and Kane delivered a walk-off single as the fourth-seeded Bears rallied for a 9-8 win over No. 13 Enochs.

Merced (20-5) scored four runs in the final two innings, overcoming a 7-4 deficit.

“I’m just happy to get a win. This is a great win for these girls,” Merced coach Bart McAfee said. “We’ve relied on (Nickles) all season. She was the MVP of our league.

“As a whole team, this was one of the best wins we’ve had all season. We knew we had to score. That’s the way the game is.”

The Bears will play No. 5 Tracy in the second round Saturday at the Sacramento Softball Complex, extending their chase for the program’s first Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship.

Collins reached base three times and highlighted the three-run rally in the sixth inning with a two-run single.

However, her at-bat in the fifth inning symbolized the Bears’ determination and fight. Collins fouled off pitch after pitch and eventually reached on an error.

Merced was unable to capitalize, but the dugout buzzed with new energy. The run would come — and the Eagles could sense it.

“Her second-to-last at-bat, when she battled and battled and battled and finally got on base … they all battled,” McAfee said. “I can’t say that enough. We were up against a wall.”

Nickles was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

For just the second time all season, Nickles, the section’s strikeout leader, didn’t start in the chalked circle for the Bears. Instead, she played shortstop, favoring an injured shoulder.

Lily Ramirez was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and led off the seventh inning with an infield single. She would score the tying run. Juaqlyne Garza trotted home with the game-winning run after reaching on a fielder’s choice.

McAfee reserved the hero moment for Kane, who had just two hits during the regular season.

“I’ve been struggling getting my hands to the ball and keeping it down,” Kane said. “My focus was to just stay relaxed and hit it on the ground somewhere.”

And when it bounced through the infield?

“My knees felt weak,” she said. “We all came together and picked each other up. We found that spark and kept it going.”

For five innings, that spark belonged to Enochs, a double-digit seed stalking an upset.

The Eagles came within three outs of knocking out the six-time defending Central California Conference champions.

Sarah Price and Brook Bettencourt thumped home runs over the temporary fencing at the Sacramento Softball Complex as Enochs jumped all over surprise starter Abby Flores.

Bettencourt hit a solo home run in the second inning, while Price hit a two-run smash in the third. Price also drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning.

Taylor Espinosa, Alexis Guerra and Nohemi Mariscal also drove in runs for the Eagles (13-8), who stumbled at the finish line.

“The pressure got to us a little bit,” Enochs coach Moises Martinez said. “They had the momentum the last two innings.

“These girls tried. They gave 100 percent. I’m not happy with the outcome, but I’m proud of their effort.”

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Merced softball survives scare from Enochs in opening game of Division I playoffs."